INDIA VOTES 2024: Parties change their emphasis to education to appeal to newcomers
The national capital’s new voters’ top worries, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, seem to be college infrastructure and education.
A total of 2.54 lakh new voters have registered, with 67,930 of them being between the ages of 18 and 19. These new voters are most concerned about rising unemployment and subpar college facilities.
For the leaders, formulating plans to deal with issues affecting the new voters has taken precedence.
The century-old Delhi University (DU) is beset with serious problems because of its antiquated infrastructure. Numerous DU institutions, which date back to the middle of the 20th century, have inadequate upkeep, which causes annoyances and sometimes even harm to employees and students.
“My demand as a college student and as a first-time voter is that whichever party comes to power, it should focus on our college’s infrastructure,” said Vanshika, a first-year student at Deen Dyal Upadhyaya College. Similar thoughts were expressed by Anu, a first-year Zakir Hussain College student, who emphasized the need of better upkeep. “Poor infrastructure is something that bothers me during my college life, though I don’t have much interest in politics,” said Shruti, a second-year student.
Current need for a skill-oriented educational system: Students
An further important request made by students is for more courses that focus on skills. “There should be more skill-based courses; my course has irrelevant subjects that should be replaced by skill-based subjects,” said Aryan, a second-year student at Kirori Mal College.
Pupils who like him are pushing for an education system that is more skill-oriented and relevant in order to better prepare them for the workforce of the future.
These issues have been mentioned by political parties in their election manifestos. In their separate campaigns, BJP contenders Kamaljeet Sehrawat and Harsh Malhotra pledged to work toward building a DU campus in East Delhi and West Delhi. The BJP candidate from New Delhi, Bansuri Swaraj, intends to establish a start-up cluster to increase young job prospects.
The BJP has promised in its campaign to speed up the process of filling government positions and enact rules against document leaks.
Congress has suggested creating skill-training facilities in every district in the meantime. Together with filling nearly 30 lakh positions in Central government, they have also pledged to introduce a new Right to Apprenticeship Act, which will offer one-year apprenticeships to diploma holders and recent college graduates under the age of twenty-five, and to execute the Yuva Nyay program to combat unemployment.
